Glue converter



1948 F. c. ZIMMERMAN 2,441,610

GLUE CONVERTER 7 Filed July 31, 1945 I v i g .6

5-"; I 3;: 39 g-- i 1/ 38 ,5 5 /3 Patented May 18, 1948 vrail-41th) K Vl *G'LUE UONVERTER Irances .ClYzimmerman, Cincinnati Applicititinilnlyl;1945,serialflm'iiil'lfifl (Cl. RIF-.284)

The present invention relat'e's ito rimprovements in aglue icon vertersand fipslrticularly its iapparaltus such as illustrated iniyipriorPatent ."No. l fifi'lg339, -'grantedik pril .4 21928. t

factory; :ho'WevemDhawe discovered that by c'ombining and-adding move]was an f improved iglue converter-results. floriexamplegmy pfiicrspatentincluded a :glue jellyiconvefiting wessel'fsometimes I eletriealswitch mmounted :out-side athe it'ank is an electrical heating element?:adaptedto hat the water in' ta'nkifl.

' l hisswitchis h'oused inia bexfl and-is coupled to the electrodeelementsiof theheater l l by sultable meanssueh as a 'nut fl.

The ta'nk T0 may he :open :at the "top with e centrally disposed openingf5 in the bdttom. The opening is arranged to receive the end :of -aplpe-or' tube :16, whih' fiares upwardly and outwardlyiinsi'de the steamtarik 1 l fl to provide-a funing -ves's'el and theicath b'aisinfimu'stbe prop'erly positioned-one up'on"the dt1fr, and thele' ane '0'c casions 'w'hen a more i'eareless -use'r of the v conver ter may :not' propeilypo'sition the parts "to fret'e. s'eal. -".[-f a good seal betweenthe-parts is not-made, this allows steam and cond'ens'ation to mix withthe glue and thin t'o an undesirable consistency. I 1

i iccordingly, f one obj ect of the p'I eSe'Iit iriventionis togproviaeanovel impvoved arrangement between the 'comfe'r ting or mltingwesslmndthe catch basinywhereb'y even' earelesszusfe the device will mot distu'ib theseal between he catch basin aii'c'l the memngvessa. a V ranother-object is to providea novl combi'ned steam tight ufiit vtlii'chi'nludes bdth the melting-" vesse1 the catc'h basin; so thal't 'they maybe-remcveu as one -u'riit from the steam tarik. Still another obj tf i"to provide -a novl improvemerit in'"tl'ie 'ai rang'ementfif thebottonief tl'ie eonverter or' meitmg vessei With respected its munfin mthe a-ppamus over th athibasin. Other{objectsfahti advaritages m'ynv'eriti'o'n will 'a'ppea'rin *the 'c'ourse "(if the fdllow'ingriescription.

Myinventicnds illustrated-fin the accompanying drawingswhereino v Figure1 is a'veiti'cal'cross"sectlon*view throughazglueicon-verterdncludingzmyimproved-nonstruction. 7 -v Figure 2 isatopmlan -view of .thedetachable bottom portion oftheeonver'teformeltinves- 5e1 V Figure t3 is a top plan svie'w "f a removable glue filtershown -installed -m tl'i'eaglu'e outlet pipe 1m Eigurefl. J r I ififerring to the drawingsiin detail, and flrst withp'z'airtiizlilar--refe1:ence-to-.v Jgu're 1 heresis sliown a taiti k J0adapted' to eo'fitain a tiiiasntity of 'Water-Tto be heated andconveftdinto 'stam. Extending into the tank I 0 and coupled to an.

nel fl, thereinafter called the outer catch basin. This outereatc'hbasi'n fl serves-to support my novel unit in its proper position foroperation, and it "also serves as a drip catcherjfor melted g'l'ue'dui'ing removal of the/unit from-the tank *HI for I cleaning -'-or thelik-e. "The outer diameter or tube -FB which projects-through opening*'-l5- is made fluid tight in the --opening 15, by suitable means' sucha'sgsolder- 98.

My ndvl unit comprises an upperconverter or melting vessel H'for theglue, aniritegrally attache deatchbas'in '21 and an integrally attachedout-let tube 2 2 *having anj-exterioriy threaded end portion 2-3 adaptedto couple in a valve housing 14. The several integral portions of mynovel unit are constructed for "cooperative positioningwiththe-outer*catchbasin l l an'd in relation to the interior walls-ofthe steam-*tan'kfl. For "example; th'e bottom -of-the convertenvessel 19has an *aperture -'that-opens into the catch basin "2 I. This 'opening-is dfined by a'fi-ependingffian'ge 25 integrally 'connecteii'fromthebottomofvesselfl to the toprim dfth'e 'innencatch basin 2|,s0ith1t thereis'jprovl'dedan annular surface 26 around theiian'ge 25" thatcoactivel-yseats onfthebead '21 around-the "rim' of 'theouter catch basin'l'l. "Theflange 25 is j of sufficient "width to position ?the funnel-shapeddimers-catch basin "2'! in spaced relation vrith the interior of thefunnel or 'outer catch basin *IT. Thus clearanceis prot'ided ffforfThevalve hous'ing is provided "with a valve operating means, *such"as-hand Wheel "'80. ",lihe

out-let s'ide' of-"thevalve housing 24' is-suitab'ly detachable *bottom-p1ate 32; jplate is pr'o- 'viiied -With' a plurality "ofmerforationsfland a f toi the outerFuppeif side offvessel l9 another pair of handles'andi'ffor lifting'out' thevesal l9 and the inner catch basin 2lwith thebottom plate 32 and a filter member 38 when the outlet tube 22 isuncoupled from valve housing 24.

Operation The operation is generally apparent from the foregoingdescription; for example, glue jelly to be melted is loaded into vessell9. The switch H is turned on to supply current from a suitable sourceof power, not shown, through cable 39, to the heating electrodes l2.Steam is thus generated in tank [0, which steam circulates around theconverter vessel l9 and provides for very rapidly melting the glue jellyin vessel l9. The melted glue settles down through the perforations 33in bottom 32 and the filter 38, out the outlet pipe 22 to the valvehousing 24.

As hereinbefore briefly mentioned, the valve, not shown, in the housing24 may be controlled by handle 30, so as to feed glue directly to abinder machine or the like.

Due to the unitary construction of the glue" holding parts [9, 2|, and22, no steam or condensation can intermingle with the glue. Also, oncethe steam has developed in the tank I0, the melting of the glue issubstantially instantaneous.

While I have referred to the present improvements as adaptable fordirect connection to a housing whereby the unit may be removed fromsaidtank.

3. In a glue converter and melter of the character described having anouter tank; a vertically disposed outer catch basin within the tank andin the form of a'funnel having an open top and a discharge pipeextending through the bottom of the tank, a valve housing disposedbeneath the tank and having said discharge pipe coupled binder, it mayalso be connected to a glue storage vessel or the like, as 'shown in myprior patent. To determine the scope of my invention, reference shouldbe had to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a glue converter and melter of the character described having anouter tank and means for generating steam therein; a vertically extendedouter catch basin open at its upper end having a diameter less than thediameter oithe said tank and having a discharge pipe extending throughthe bottom of the tank, aunit comprising a glue melting vessel with anopening in its bottom portion and an inner catch basin integrallyconnected to the bottom around the opening therein, said vessel havingan outerportion of its bottom adapted to rest on the outer catch basin,a perforated plate over said opening in the bottom of the meltingvessel, said inner catch basin having an outlet pipe extending throughthe bottom of the said tank coaxially within the discharge pipe of saidouter catch basin, and a valve housing coupled to theend of said outletpipe of the inner catch basin to regulate the passage of glue from themelting vessel.

2. In a glue converter and melter of the character described having anouter tank and means for generating steam therein; a vertically extendedouter catch basin open at its upper end having a diameter less than thediameter of the said tank and having a discharge pipe extending throughthe bottom of the tank, a unt comprising a glue melting vessel with anopening in its bottom portion and an inner catch basin integrallyconnected to the bottom around the opening therein, said vesssel havingan outer portion of its bottom adapted to rest on the outer catch basin,a perforated plate over said opening in the bottom of-the meltingvessel, said inner catch basin having an outlet pipe extending throughthe bottom of the said tank coaxially within the discharge pipe of saidouter catch basin, a valve housing removably coupled to the end of saidoutlet pipe of the inner catch basin to regulate the passage of gluefrom the melting vessel, the said removable coupling between the valvehousing and said outlet pipe being adapted to draw the therewith, a gluemelting vessel having an overall width greater than the open top of saidouter catch basin and having a bottom adapted to rest uponthe edge ofthe open top of the catch basin, said vessel having a central opening inits bottom, a substantially conical inner catch basin joined to thevessel bottom at the edge of said opening and adapted to extenddownwardly into the outer catch basin, an outlet pipe extending from thebottom of said inner catch basin and passing coaxially through saiddischarge pipe, a threaded coupling between the lower end of the innercatch basin discharge pipe and said valve housing whereby the bottom ofthe vessel is maintained in tight contact with the edge of the outercatch basin, and a foraminous member in the lower part of the vessselthrough which melted glue passes to the outlet pipe of the inner catchbasin.

4. In a glue converter and melter of the character described having anouter tank; a vertically disposed outer catch basin within the tank andin the form of a funnel having an open top and a discharge pipeextending through the bottom of the tank, a valve housing disposedbeneath the tank and having said discharge pipe coupled therewith, aglue melting vessel having an overall width greater than the open top ofsaid outer catch basin and having a bottom adapted to rest upon the edgeof the open top of the catch basin, said vessel having a central openingin its bottom, a substantially conical inner catch basin joined to thevessel bottom at the edge of said opening and adapted to extenddownwardly into the outer catch basin, an outlet pipe extending from thebottom of said inner catch basin and passing coaxially through saiddischarge pipe, a threaded coupling between the lower end of the innercatch basin discharge pipe and said valve housing whereby the bottom ofthe vessel is maintained in tight contact with the edge of the outercatch basin, a perforated plate lying upon the bottom of the vessel andoverlying the opening therein leading to the inner catch basin, and astrainer lying in the lower part of the inner catch basin at theentrance to the inner catch basin outlet pipe.

FRANCES C. ZIMMERMAN.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,675,397 Wild July 3, 1928

